Animal & Dog Welfare Bloghttp://animalwelfareculebra.org
Caring about dogs and all animals and rehoming themTue, 24 Mar 2015 07:02:00 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Nicole: A Story of a Dog Who Was Left Behindhttp://animalwelfareculebra.org/nicole-a-story-of-a-dog-who-was-left-behind/
http://animalwelfareculebra.org/nicole-a-story-of-a-dog-who-was-left-behind/#commentsTue, 21 Oct 2014 06:25:30 +0000http://animalwelfareculebra.org/?p=64

“This is the story of a dog named Nicole. A story of love, heartbreak and death.”

My name is Nicole. I am brown Mongrel dog born in the year 1993. I had three siblings. My mother was a brown dog as well. I never met my dad. At about two months old, I was adopted by a college kid named Jasper. He was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Jasper was a nursing student and was a loving dad to me. His mum was also very nice. We all lived in his granny’s big house, together with his brother, his mom, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Jasper had a big family. They even had cats. I was good friends with the cats. They were Orange and Cookie. We played a lot of games together. They even had a very old guard dog which they kept at the back. His name was Sparkie. We weren’t very close.

Jasper and I always had a lot of fun. He lets me sleep beside him on his bed. He always gives me nice belly rubs. I love him so much. He gives me all me needs. He even buys me vitamins which I think are for humans. I was the luckiest dog in the world. I was the in the center of the universe. Whenever his other cousins visited our home. They played with me too. I never run out of nice sunny days filled with love.

One day I could not understand what was going on. I saw Jasper packing his things. But where is he going? I wagged my tail in anticipation. I know I can go with him because he would never leave me since he loved me a lot. He tried to talk to me but I could not understand human talk so much. All I heard was for me to “Stay”. But why? I could not understand. Maybe there was just some mistake here. Jasper carried his bags and went to the door. I tried to follow him but he immediately closed it. I cried and cried but he would not hear me. I wanted to go with him. Why is he leaving me? Is he ever coming back? I waited and waited. But he never came back.

I could not understand why he just decided to leave me. I was a good girl all the time. I played with him. I tried to make him happy. I tried to give him all that I have. His aunt Nita took care of me and tried to make me happy while I patiently waited for him to come back for me. I tried to play with Orange and Cookie but the void in my heart could never be filled. I felt lonely all the time but I hid it from Jasper’s family. I want them to stay and not leave me too so I did not want to be a bad dog.

One day, one of Jasper’s cousins Chris brought a beautiful woman in our house. She seemed to be having a baby. I was really excited. I love babies! They are very cute and cuddly. I waited and waited for the baby to come. Finally, one day a cute baby boy came back home. His name was Miguel. He was so small and smelled very nice. I wanted to play with him but the older humans would never let me.

Years past and I tried to keep my distance from Miguel but I always tried to watch over him. He was about a foot and half high at that time. Maybe in doggie years that’s about 21 but maybe just three years old for humans since he seemed to much like a baby to me. I thought to myself, maybe he is now old enough for me to lick and go near to. He seemed to like me. He smiled at me all the time. So I tried to go to him. I tried to lick him. But I was very careful not to hurt him with my teeth. I felt so happy again.

Suddenly, his dad Chris shouted at me! He was very angry! I felt so scared so I barked at him asking him why he is upset. He could not understand me. He went to the kitchen and got a knife! Oh my God! No! I’m scared. He tried to stab me…. But my angel dogs where guiding me and the knife did not go in. His other cousin Edgar came in and protected me. They both got into an argument. Next thing I know, Edgar was carrying me into his car and driving really fast. My heart was racing with fright. I was really scared. I thought I was gonna die. Thank God I did not.

We arrived in another house. It was big too but no one seemed to be there. Just Edgar and me. He gave me some water to drink. I was so tired that I fell asleep. I slept on for days waking up only to drink or eat a little. I was so depressed. Why are humans like that? I miss Jasper and his protection.

Months and years passed. I was used to solitary life. Edgar came and went as he pleased. He sister Ginny was there most of the time to check on me. She was a nice woman, who most other humans misunderstood. I loved my new masters. They are simple and quiet. But I still miss my beloved dad.

One day children came to Edgar’s house. I recognize them as his cousins. They used to visit me in Jasper’s house. I loved this children. They played with me and gave me a bath. They tried to give me some bread with soy sauce. This was yummy but I knew it was bad for me. I could not say no because they were so innocent and they only wanted to show me love and care. I was so happy again! They even gave me walks outside. Marie gave me food all the time. Joseph petted me and always brought me out. Rachel was a little scared of me but petted me as well. My heart was filled with joy.

Days passed. I always feared they would leave. When that day came. I cried and cried. I wanted to go with them but they were just children. They could not adopt me yet. My heart was broken again.

After some time, I was becoming old and weak. I ate leftovers only which most dogs here do. This food was bad for me. But I had to be strong to survive. I was getting more and more sick. My kidneys hurt a lot. I wanted to see Jasper or the three children before I die.

Today I feel is my last day. I told you my story because I am hoping that you might meet any of my family or friends and tell them how much I love them. That I will always and forever love them. I will never forget them. When I go to doggie heaven, I will watch over them. Please tell them that if they have new pets, to not forget me coz I have and never ever will forget them.

“Nicole died in the summer of 2002. It was a warm and sunny day. She looked at the sky and prayed. She was happy and at peace. She was happy because finally, she could always watch over her beloved Jasper from heaven forever.” — The End

]]>http://animalwelfareculebra.org/nicole-a-story-of-a-dog-who-was-left-behind/feed/0Switch to Organic Pet Foodhttp://animalwelfareculebra.org/switch-to-organic-pet-food/
http://animalwelfareculebra.org/switch-to-organic-pet-food/#commentsTue, 18 Feb 2014 17:36:43 +0000http://animalwelfareculebra.org/?p=30Maintaining a pet at home whatever it may be- a cat, dog, bird or something else is not a matter of joke. One needs to take care of what the pets eats along with its health and hygiene. Not all foods are good for all pets and not all that is good for a pet can be given at all times. A pet as it grows as different dietary needs. Hence, what you would feed it as a child will not be the same as what you feed it when it is ill or has become old. Thus, there are some facts about the food of the pets which is essential for every pet owner to keep a track of.

As the old proverb goes what you see is not what you get; same is the condition when we talk about pet foods. Sometimes the beautiful colours and graphics of a pet food tin blind us to buy it without looking into the nutritional value of what we are buying. Hence one should look into what goes in making the food that you are giving to your pet.

Many a times finding out what goes into making certain pet food can leave you full of horror.

What is really in your pet food?

• By-products of chicken and beef are cooked in fact dried and cooked. These include spleen, blood, meat, bones, kidneys and such other organs. These are mixed with what is called pet food and served to the pets. It is important for pet owners to know about these facts so that they can question the food as the pets themselves cannot do so.

• Lamb meals which are dried and cooked or rendered are added as pet food. These include hoof, horn, blood, kidneys, hair etc.

• Chicken by products same as lamb meal are also added to the pet food.

• There are many pet foods which do not contain any flavour of its own. Those meals are supplemented with chemicals and digests which are materials from mammals. These digests supposedly adds flavour to the food.

In fact people today blindly trust the brands and labels of pet food and other pet health products. This has actually become dangerous as people do not pay attention to the nutritional value but more to the face value of the supplement. Also, the ones that are labelled as premium food and sold are mostly done so to gain popularity and actually run a business of monetary gains. Most of the times such food manufacturing companies are more interested in their profit value than the health of the pet.

Organic foods for pets are best

Thus there is one solution that can be adopted in such a circumstance. You can actually shift focus to organic food for your pets. These organic foods are manufactured in clean and healthy environment without the adulteration that is done in most of the normal pet foods. Hence adopting organic food in their nutrition is the best way out.

These organic foods are made without the influence of fertilisers and pesticides and retain their protein and nutritional value.
Hence it is time to adopt a more natural and nutritional friendly way for your pet to ensure that they get the diet that they require to get and also so that they can lead a healthy life.

]]>http://animalwelfareculebra.org/switch-to-organic-pet-food/feed/0Adopting a Dog From a Rehoming Center is Better Than Buying Onehttp://animalwelfareculebra.org/adopting-a-dog-from-a-rehoming-center-is-better-than-buying-it/
http://animalwelfareculebra.org/adopting-a-dog-from-a-rehoming-center-is-better-than-buying-it/#commentsWed, 08 Jan 2014 15:24:24 +0000http://animalwelfareculebra.org/?p=16Dogs are known as the most friendly pets for human beings. Dogs are the lovable creature and also the best friends to their masters. Though, these sweet little pets are very close to their master’s heart, but still there are times, we cannot put much effort to take care of them.

Either, we are short of time or we lack provisions to take care of them. There can be many reasons for our negligence towards them and to care of the special requirements of the dog it is better to find a new home for them rather than being irresponsible towards them.

At times, dogs get into the clutches of wrong masters and gets into the wretch of brutality. Considering a rescue for such a pet is really important rather than leaving the pet under the mercy of its masters.

Why not rescue a poor dog and offer a new home to it. You may adopt a pet or give it a perfect home, where it needs of getting loved can be fulfilled.

Dog rehoming and dog rescuing are two different concepts. Rehoming a dog can be the result of lack of care, moving from the present place or lack of time for taking care of a dog.

Dog rescuing on the other hands is related to a rescue process for poor puppies that are being either ill-treated or don’t have any shelter for them. Such dogs really need love and care. Believe me, when you rescue and rehome such a dog, the feeling of self-contentment is high.

You may adopt a dog from a rehoming center or you may leave your dog to a rehoming center to find a new master for it.

Dog rescuing and dog rehoming are the growing concern of these days and many NGO’s are working to provide assistance to helpless and neglected dogs. They are in the mission of offering a new life and environment to the speechless creatures by finding a new home for them.

You may come across many dogs rehoming centers to give away your dog to them or adopt one from them. In a dog rehoming center you can find a new puppy for yourself, that needs your love and affection badly. Adopting one from a rehoming center is always a better option than buying a new puppy. Just think about the poor dog that has been rescued from a cruel master or a dog that has been given away by their masters due to the lack of time or some other reasons. Yeah, such dogs really feel lonely and crave for the missing love in their lives.

As there are many dog rehoming centers, you may find it difficult to select one for your puppy. The point is how to find a good rehoming center for your dog? What are the things you are looking for in a dog rehoming center?

Just make a search over the internet and you will get to know about many dog rehoming centers in your place.

Another way is to consult people who had past experience with any of these rehoming centers. They will really guide you well.

You can always check for the review about the rehoming center over the internet. This will make your decision far more easier.

Things to look for in a dog rehoming center

The most important thing you must look for in a dog rehoming center is the kind of attention offered to the dogs. Whether, they are taken for a regular walk outside or if they are offered food and medicines they require in time till they don’t find a new master for them.

Your dog needs love and affection just like people do. So, inquire about the treatment they are offered at a rehoming center. There are rehoming centers that don’t give the care they actually promise. You just cannot leave your loved dog under the care of such ruthless centers.

If the dog is taken to vets for their vaccinations and other treatments.

There are many things you need to take care of before giving away your dog or getting a dog you rescues from a rehoming center. The attitude of love and affection makes them dedicated towards you and you cannot leave your dog under the mercy of any cruel rehoming centers. Just as you look for certain things in a rehoming center to give away your dog, you also need to do a proper research before taking a dog from a rehoming center. Some of the points that you must stress about, before proceeding with getting a new member in the family are:

If the rehoming center is a registered and insured institution.

Research about the attitude of the rehoming centers towards their clients. A rehoming center with a bad behavior people will only offer you a dog with bad temperament.

If the rehoming centers are working on dog’s behavior.

A mature dog needs training and you cannot afford to take an untrained mature dog to your home.

Find about the daily activities of the dog and the kind of food they are offered to maintain it along with the love and affection you have to give.

Getting a dog from a rehoming center is a kind deed and when you shower your love towards this rescued animal, the love that they offer you in return is always unconditional. I particularly like this rehoming center see if you can find a dog in need of a home today!

]]>http://animalwelfareculebra.org/adopting-a-dog-from-a-rehoming-center-is-better-than-buying-it/feed/0Wildlife Welfare In Contemporary Timeshttp://animalwelfareculebra.org/wildlife-welfare-in-contemporary-times/
http://animalwelfareculebra.org/wildlife-welfare-in-contemporary-times/#commentsWed, 08 Jan 2014 14:57:37 +0000http://animalwelfareculebra.org/?p=5Animal welfare has become one of the most important spheres of action and studies in contemporary world.

Environmentalists and animal welfare specialists are deeply concerned over the fate of the animals today in the world. Man today has become so irresponsible, carless and selfish that they do not stop to think over the fact whether their actions are hurting animals or not and this applies to pets like dogs but also animals in the wild. When a small scratch comes in the body of a man he yells in pain but today parts, organs and hides of animals are cut for decors, clothes and making other beautiful objects. One does not even stop to think how painful it might be for the animal. What more, these animals cannot communicate in human language; a reason why they cannot express their pain properly and behave in an uncontrollable manner. This is all the more misunderstood by the people and leads to killing of the animals.

Animal welfare can be broadly divided into two categories: Domestic animal welfare such as cats, horses and dogs and wildlife welfare. In domestic welfare, one deals with stray animals, provides them food and shelter or arranges for them to be admitted and kept in the zoo, animal shelters or even better adopts them or rehomes them with a loving family. However, in wildlife welfare one cannot do so. Often there are exceptional cases where a family takes care of a lion or tiger cub as their own child and brings him up, but this is mostly possible in the remote tribal areas of the world and not in a majority.

According to reports and personal experiences of travellers, environmentalists, animal lovers, documentary makers the condition of the wild animals in their natural habitat is very poor and degraded. In fact the mankind has seen its visual proof as cheetahs, wild elephants and tigers have often left the wild and entered into villages in search of food and shelter. Every other day there is news in the newspapers which state that a jumbo or a group of jumbos have lost their lives after being run over by a speeding train. Rhinos are being shot brutally and their horns are being cut off to make ivory objects. Many a times the rhino is not even killed but just tranquillised and are subjected to the painful cutting off of their horns. Then they are simply left to die in the wild. There are less royal Bengal Tigers in the Sunderbans than one can ever imagine. Even if one gets to see a tiger after two to five visits one would be very lucky to have been able to get a glimpse of the mighty animal.

This was not the fate of these wild animals even few years ago. But today, these atrocities are at their height of cruelty and selfishness. There are many legislations that have been applied for these cases but to what extents are these legislations followed by the people are a completely different matter. Moreover, today the forest guards and officials also have to fight against poachers, animal piracy and smuggling of exotic animals especially birds. With so many problems to fight against for the protection of the wild animals it is very essential that the people in the vicinity come forward and offer their help in maintaining a peaceful co -existence between animals and mankind.

Hence wildlife welfare also forms a very important part of animal welfare and should be given equal weightage as domestic animal welfare. Though many people cannot directly offer their help but indirectly they can by spreading awareness and following the animal welfare legislations. Petitions written by them are also are favourable step to take. Hence, it is up to mankind now to protect and preserve these creatures.